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Sputnik PS-1 antenna mount shields

A project log for Space Race Replicas

Display replicas of the first United States satellite, Explorer 1, and the first Soviet Union satellite, Sputnik PS-1

kenji-larsenKenji Larsen 12/13/2015 at 03:520 Comments

The antenna mount shields were cast in epoxy resin and chrome painted.

The original form was modeled in balsa wood and automotive body filler, then finished. The resulting form was molded in silicone, then the silicone mold was used to create epoxy resin copies. These copies were filled, sanded, primed, and chrome painted.

The most important aspect of the shield was that it was fit to a 58 cm sphere. This curve was allowed in the original model by aligning the balsa wood grain so that the wood could flex along a curve of the proper radius. The wood form was glued into shape and then filled and finished.

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